Bryant Phelan is an Arkansas native that is known for his unique handcrafted luxury leather goods. Bryant began his journey with leather design in his early teens after being inspired by the works of traditional Italian masters by way of a leather Venetian masquerade mask brought home, framed and displayed by his mother, whom he finds to be one of his biggest style inspirations for his art. His take on design is often a reintroduction or modernization of classics, manipulating one or many design concepts, such as shape, texture and embellishment, while holding some variable constant. He has a love for the fantastical and surreal, being inspired by dreams and nature, but holds luxury, glamour and quality in the highest of regard. “It’s a brand about personality. Taking portions of the personality and putting a magnifying glass on them. I think we all have facets of ourself that we love to embody when we go out or dress up. That’s what I aim to imbue in my work; Personality. It’s all about relating to and loving yourself through art. This art is just wearable.”Bryant did not go to school for art but taught himself over the years and grew his passion for design as he pursued masters degrees in both biostatistics and epidemiology. He enjoyed contributing to public health causes and published research in the field but eventually left his PhD in Epidemiology to pursue his passion in fashion and design. He does, however, still apply many facets of his education into his work stating that “my scientific background informs my design and inspires me in ways that I would not otherwise have envisioned if I went a more traditional route through an art or fashion school.” But his heart remains in and beats for art.Bryant has runway shows each season in fabulous notable cities such as New York Fashion Week, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, LA and, of course, Little Rock and North West Arkansas. Bryant’s work has been published and featured by ELLE, Nylon, Ellements, Shuba, Lucy’s, Dazed, Spirit and Flesh magazines among others. He has clients all over the globe from Egypt, Australia, Japan, China, Canada, and Mexico with the US being his primary buyer. Much of his work has been with other Arkansas talents including stylist and makeup artist Jessica Humerick, photographer Stephanie Parsely and fellow designer Korto Momolu, who gave him his first break at New York Fashion Week in 2014. Bryant has a passion for art and a love for Arkansas. He has a belief that Little Rock can and is becoming a fantastic haven for the arts and is brimming with talent. He noted that many artists leave Arkansas for lack of support or for more common stomping grounds of the underground and artistic nature’s such as NYC and LA. “What happens if artists stay?” He often has pondered. Well, let’s find out together.

Bryant

Owner/Designer, OFaolain

I hope you enjoy what you find in my store. I am always working on new pieces, whether it be bags, accessories or apparel so check in often! I offer bespoke leather goods and am always willing to work with a budget!

Each piece by O'Faolain is meticulously hand-crafted using fine hides and traditional leatherworking techniques. You will be thoroughly pleased with the craftsmanship and attention to detail in each item.There is some slight variation between pieces as products are completely hand-crafted and hand-dyed.